VilaWeb - Diari escola: Education and Road Safety

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dimecres, 1 de maig de 2024

> Drivers and Pedestrians

> Traffic Signs

> Information or Penalisation?

dimarts, 26 d'octubre de 2004

The growing use of motorised vehicles has brought with it an improvement in standard of living, as it has allowed us to travel with more speed and comfort. But this widespread use of the car has also meant an increase in traffic accidents, mostly due to human error.

There are evidently just as many accidents on highways as on city streets, but on the latter, as is well known, those that are affected are not only the drivers and passengers of vehicles, but also pedestrians and those who use non-motorised modes of transport, such as cyclists.

Because of all this, governments and various organisations conduct all kinds of campaigns to raise awareness among children and adults of the importance of obeying traffic regulations and, more generally, to promote road safety education. This education is also given in schools and forms part of what is known as civic education.

! Actualització el 29/10/2004 a les 07:45

Interior camuflarà vehicles dels Mossos d'Esquadra per perseguir conductors temeraris

Drivers and Pedestrians

+ Traffic signs do not only pertain to drivers, but also to pedestrians.

We were just saying that most traffic accidents are caused by human conduct. Excessive speed, fatigue, stress, driving under the effects of alcohol or in extreme weather conditions, these are some of the factors that increase the risk of having or causing accidents. And of course, one mustn't forget the breach of traffic signs; signs that do not only pertain to drivers, but also to pedestrians.

Traffic Signs

+ There are four kinds of traffic signs.

In general, there are four kinds of traffic signs: danger signs, which consist of an equilateral triangle (with each side the same length), in white or yellow with a red border; prohibition signs, which are circular and usually with a white background and red border; obligation signs, which are also circular but with a blue background; and information signs, which are square or rectangular.

Information or Penalisation?

+ There is an intense debate about how to improve road safety.

The high rate of traffic accidents keeps the debate alive about the measures to take to effectively deal with a phenomenon that, year after year, causes a great number of victims. Traditionally, information and awareness raising campaigns have been conducted, sometimes with great visual impact. Even so, countries like France and Germany have introduced measures such as the points-based driving license incorporating penalisation, with very positive results. The Spanish government has also decided on this measure, which will come into force next summer and which aims to reduce traffic accidents by 40% over a five year period.

MATERIALS

Educació viària
Format:Web
Recull de recursos sobre educació viària, adreçats a escolars de l'ESO.
Educación vial
Format:Web
Pàgina de la Dirección General de Tráfico espanyola, centrada en l'educació viària: definició, legislació, materials didàctics...
e-ntérate
Format:Web
Espai divulgatiu del mateix organisme.
Servei Català de Trànsit
Format:Web
Web del Servei Català de Trànsit del Principat, amb vincles diversos i informació sobre seguretat viària.

QUE HO SABIES?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this year the worldwide number of deaths due to traffic accidents will reach 1.2 million (more than 3,200 per day), and there will be 50 million injured.
The safety belt, which serves to keep passengers in their seats, is the most important in-built safety element in a car.
In Spain since July, drivers must wear a reflective waistcoat when they leave their vehicle and walk on the surface of a main road, and children under three must travel with a safety seat suitable to their height and weight. This last measure also affects all children under a metre and a half tall.